SCMP unveils 'Stories' feature for 'snackable' content

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) has launched “Stories”, a snackable format of editorial content that serves to offer its advertisers a premium and high impact experience.

According to the press release, “Stories” builds upon SCMP advertising’s strapline of “Content that Connects”, which was launched in the previous quarter of the year, and is a demonstration of its pledge to deliver quality editorial and commercial content fueled by the storytelling creativity of our consummate editorial team.

Users will begin their journey on STYLE homepage on AMP, once they tap on the 'STYLE Stories' section, it will lead them to a full page story card featuring STYLE editorial content. When users continue to tap on the story card, a full page display ad or video will appear. Making its debut on the STYLE AMP site, 'Stories' caters for users' needs to discover personalised and tailored content with that of advertising brands to identify and engage with STYLE audience.

This opens up new pockets of growth for advertisers with an active monthly user rate of 6 million on STYLE (as of 2021), most of them are voracious consumers of high-net-worth lifestyle and pop culture content, according to the release.

“The new ‘Stories’ feature for STYLE is an incredibly exciting way for us to surface and recirculate content for discovery and consumption in a highly optimised manner. This increases the ROI of our clients’ investments while enhancing the experience of their target audience, wherever they may be based in the world,” says James Durston, associate editorial director at SCMP’s STYLE and specialist publications department.

“Bridging the gap has always been our purpose as we make it our everyday mission to understand our users’ habits off platform, insights garnered from which would determine our strategy in matching brands with their key audience. The resulting increase in reach directly translates into a strengthened value proposition for both our clients and readers,” Durston added.

“The introduction of ‘Stories’ deepens our relationship with our users and boosts the ROI of our advertisers’ respective campaigns. What we will see is an immediate uptick in efficiency and engagement across metrics — I cannot wait to see this feature unveiled across our on-platform properties,” says Timmy Bankole, director of advertising business operations at SCMP.

The launch comes after the new changes of role in June this year as the SCMP has named Catherine So as its next chief executive officer, succeeding Gary Liu effective 15 July. As previously announced, Liu will transition into a new role to oversee the development of Artifact Labs, a new blockchain and NFT company created by SCMP. According to SCMP, So’s appointment marks a new chapter for the company “which will benefit from her extensive media and technology leadership experience, strong track record for corporate transformation and innovation, and success in growing consumer-focused companies”.

So joins SCMP from Expedia Group where she was managing director of Asia Pacific overseeing its consumer brands in all APAC markets. She was managing director of Groupon Hong Kong, and has previously held leadership positions at iProperty Group (now REA Group), Tom Group, News Corporation, and AOL Time Warner.  So said, “The need for quality journalism has never been higher in today’s complex and polarised world. As a trusted news media company in Hong Kong and around the world, the Post is well-positioned to shape the global dialogue on Greater China and Asia.”  

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